Fulfillment (Book 3 in The Temptation Series) (52 page)

Mum appeared
next to me again, this time handing me my equally handsome little,
little man, Brayden.

“Hello,
Mummy’s spunky boy. Have you been good for Daddy?”

He nodded.
“Dadda ova dere,” Brayden giggled, as he pointed to his dad who was
as still as a statute while watching me hug our son.

“Yes, he is,
isn’t he? And he looks very handsome, just like you. Have you got a
kiss for Mummy?”

My chubby
little 18-month-old leaned forward and placed a sloppy kiss on my
lips.

“Thank you,” I
said, as I conspicuously wiped the additional slobber—that toddlers
seem to be able to produce—away from my lips and chin. “Now, hold
on to Nanny’s hand and your special pillow, and walk down to where
Daddy is.”

I placed him
on his wobbly feet and watched Mum lead him down the aisle, my
heart thumping at the sight of his gorgeous wobbly steps toward his
dad. We had both waited nearly two years to get married, just so we
could see our gorgeous little Brayden walk down the aisle, and
although the wait was agonising—especially for my Mr.
I-can’t-fucking-wait-any-longer Clark—seeing our son’s adorable
eager steps toward his father, was definitely worth the wait.
Everyone in the room smiled at my blonde haired, blue eyed little
boy who seemed to charm everyone in his vicinity, just like his
dad. He was sweet and playful, and again, just like his dad, stole
my heart the moment I first laid eyes on him.

A tear left my
eye as I looked down the aisle at all three of my children, and the
man who captured my soul the very moment I met him. The sight
before me was perfect.

A Live
Trepidation musical piece sounded through the speakers, indicating
I should begin to walk down the aisle. I wiped my tear and smiled,
then I squeezed Dad’s arm, prompting him to turn his head in my
direction and pat my hand. I took comfort in his action then beamed
at the people around me.

I spotted
Santa and Mrs. Gordon first, both of them smiling and nodding their
heads as I walked past. Next was Abigail, Sam, and Charlie, Charlie
fluttering his hands in front of his face in an attempt to prevent
himself from crying. Moving along, I spotted Clarissa and Johanna,
and I was glad Jake had been truthful when telling me that he liked
her, because obviously he had—she was still very much a part of his
life and his house.

Taking my
final steps to the altar, I came upon Jessica wiping her eye with a
tissue, and something told me her tears were a result of happiness
and sadness. Sadness that her best friend—Bryce’s mother—could not
be here to witness her son get married. I smiled sympathetically at
her, and she thanked me with a brighter smile back.

The last set
of guests I laid eyes on before turning to my father were Rick,
Claire, and RJ. Rick looked happier than I had ever seen him. He
was fit and healthy and very much in love with his heavily pregnant
fiancé, Claire.

“Okay,
Darling. This is where I leave you and hand you over to a man I
know this time will love and care for you until his dying day.”

I scoffed
lovingly at my father. “How do you know that?”

Dad nodded in
Bryce’s direction. “Just look at him.”

Dad then
leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before I turned and faced
Bryce.

Okay, I have
to agree with you Dad.

Bryce’s eyes
were glued to me if in a trance, his mouth slightly open and his
hands by his sides showing signs of fidgety agitation.

I stepped up
to the altar beside him and mouthed the word ‘Hi’.

He looked at
the celebrant. “Can I kiss her now?”

The room
erupted into a chuckle.

“I’m sorry,
Mr. Clark, not quite yet.”

The windows to
his soul were wide open as he stood before me, exposing his
undeniable love and indisputable devotion. ‘I love you’ he mouthed,
as he eyed me adoringly.

‘I love you,
too’ I mouthed back, drinking in his passion.

He was
handsome, smouldering and sexy at the best of times, but standing
in a long-lined black tuxedo with an ivory-coloured vest to match
my dress—the man just simply made my knees weak.

I handed my
bouquet of roses to Jen before turning to face Bryce. He subtly
wiped his palms on his pants before taking my hands, and I couldn’t
help but giggle at his sign of nervousness. As our fingers stroked
one another’s, the excitement that his touch always generated,
filled me entirely. Then, against all rules, he lifted my wrist to
his mouth and placed a kiss on it while fixing his deep blazing
gaze on me—the man never did what he was told, never followed the
rules.

The celebrant
cleared his throat with an amused smile on his face. Bryce just
happily smirked.

“We are
gathered here today...” the celebrant began, and as if I were in a
daze, I concentrated on the man before me—the man I knew from the
moment I met him that we belonged together. Against morals and all
odds, here we were, about to eternally pledge our commitment to
each other.

“Bryce Edward
Clark, do you take Alexis Elizabeth Blaxlo to be your wife? Do you
promise to love her, cherish her, honour and keep her, in sickness
and in health as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” he
pronounced with certainly.

The celebrant
then repeated ‘The Asking’ to me.

“I do,” I
answered honestly.

He nodded to
Brayden. “Now I believe this young man right here has the honour in
handing over the rings.”

Mum whispered
to Brayden and set him on his feet, and like all toddlers do, he
surged toward his older brother who had bent down to make sure he
did not go tumbling to the ground. Nate caught him in his arms and
took the pillow from him which contained our rings.

“My pillow,”
Brayden complained as Nate handed it to the celebrant.

“Hang on,
Buddy, you can have it back in a second,” Nate said as he placed
his hands on Brayden’s shoulders, positioning him at his front.

The celebrant
untied the rings and handed the pillow back to Brayden. He happily
accepted and made his way back to Mum and Dad.

“Bryce,” the
celebrant said as he handed over my ring. “I believe you have
something to say.”

“Yes, I do.”
Bryce took the ring then lifted my hand in his. “Alexis, you’re a
thief,” he said boldly.

I laughed.
What?

“You stole my
heart, and you stole it good. You kept it, joined it with yours and
never gave it back. But Hunny, I want you to keep it. It’s yours,
it belongs to you and it always will. I’ve waited all my life for a
thief like you...”

I laughed
again and so did our family and friends, Brayden laughing along
with them.

“I live for
you, breathe for you. I form part of this world simply for you.
With this ring, I vow to be everything you need and want. I vow to
be your life, your breath and the reason for your existence.” He
lifted my hand again and pressed it to his mouth before sliding the
ring on my finger.

Tears were
streaming down my cheeks as I looked at it through blurred vision,
perfectly placed beside my engagement ring—Brylexis right next to
it.

Bryce gently
wiped my tears away.

I leaned in to
his touch before taking his ring from the celebrant.

“Bryce, if I’m
a thief then you’re my ultimate loot...”

This time he
laughed along with the occupants in the room.

“...my
greatest treasure. You are my knight in shining armour. The person
who opened my eyes, heart, and soul to a love I did not know
existed, a love so deep that it’s effortless, raw and pure. I vow
to be all that you’ll ever want or need. I vow to be your life
entirely. I vow to love you so profoundly that you’ll realise I am
no thief and that your heart was never yours, it was always
mine.”

Just like he
did, I lifted his hand and placed a kiss to it before sliding his
ring onto his finger.

“Can I kiss
her now?” he asked almost desperately through gritted teeth.

“With the
power invested in me...” the celebrant began to say. “...by the
Commonwealth—”

Bryce did not
wait for him to finish before taking me in his strong arms and
pressing his lips to mine. His hands were on my back, and I was
deliciously pressed against him as we merged our mouths together
for the first time as husband and wife. I melted into him then
suddenly felt myself being lowered and turned to the side in a
dip.

The room
cheered, and I heard Brayden squeal in happiness, forcing both
Bryce and I to stop and instinctively find our son. We both turned
our heads to see him sitting on my Dad’s lap, clapping his hands
and bouncing up and down. We both let out a laugh before we turned
back to each other.

“Mr. Clark,
you can lift me back up again.”

“Not just yet,
Mrs. Clark,” he said with a smirk then leaned in and kissed me
again.

The End.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Where do I start? I
know, I’ll start by thanking the most amazing person that I am
privileged to share my life with; my amazing husband - I could not
have spent the last ten months of my life writing three novels
without you. The way you have adapted to our changing lifestyle has
floored me. You floor me. I love you so very much, and I thank you
for everything that you are and everything that you do.

My ratbags; my two
little adorable loves of my life - You make me smile daily. You
make me laugh daily. You make me inwardly curse daily. You make me
clean up after you daily. You make my daily worthwhile. Mummy loves
you both ♥

I can honestly say I
am blessed with two of the most wonderful parents known to man—and
woman. Yes, I am that lucky - Mum and Dad, thank you for all that
you do. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for being you.

As always, my close
friends who provide a platform of escapism. You know who you are.
Your support, enthusiasm and optimism, helps to give me the courage
to put my heart to paper. Thank you so much.

My Beta Readers -
Sarah and Heather - Flib, you seriously crack me up. I very much
look forward to reading your feedback and comments, not to mention
the ever informative—and hilarious—YouTube links you provide me
with. Heather, you are a gem. A grammar and spelling Goddess. Thank
you so much ♥

And
lastly, but certainly not in the least—my fans and followers on
Facebook and Goodreads. Without your encouragement and love for all
things Bryce and Alexis, this series would not have gone anywhere.
I can’t possibly thank you all enough for enthusiastically
spreading the word like you have. I love you all ♥♥

AUTHOR BIO

K.M. Golland
was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. She studied Legal
Practice for two years and worked as a Land Conveyancer for four
years, before putting her career on hold to raise two beautiful
children. She always had a love of reading and decided, rather than
returning to the Legal Industry, she would become a
Writer—self-publishing her debut novel Temptation (Book 1 in The
Temptation Series.)

“I am a writer. I am married. And, I am a mother of two
adorable little people. I'm a Bookworm, Craftworm, Movieworm and
Sportsworm. I'm also a Shop-aholic, Tea-aholic, Strawberry-aholic
and Choc-aholic.”

You can find K.M. Golland on:

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860161.K_M_Golland

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/temptationseries

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005897226649

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyGolly

Make
sure you visit my facebook pages. Bonus chapters such as Bryce’s
POV when Brayden was born will pop up every now and again
☺